Jorge Sampaoli is going through a difficult time in France. The former coach of the Chilean national team and the Universidad de Chile is struggling to find his bearings during his second adventure in Ligue 1.
His first match took place in November 2024, where he was seen as a possible solution to get out of the relegation zone. However, his style of play has not yet been able to establish itself. So far he has managed 9 matches, achieving three wins and six losses, which leaves a worrying efficiency of 33%.
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To make his fate worse, he lost 2-1 to Brest this Saturday, finding himself with 17 points in 14th position. However, it is only separated from Saint-Étienne, which has the same number of points but with a goal difference of -21, thanks to this same difference.
The French media did not spare him their criticism in the face of his unsatisfactory performance. Raymond Domenech, former coach of the French team, was particularly scathing in mocking the choices of Stade Rennais to entrust the reins to a foreign coach.
Sampaoli struggles to regain his best level in France
-What did Raymond Domenech say about Jorge Sampaoli?
Recently, on social networks, Raymond Domenech commented on the Jorge Sampaoli debacle, with a touch of irony typical of the former coach.
“Rennes beaten at home by Brest, the Zerbi project is not taking off, when will Stéphan return? », he said on his X account, confusing Sampaoli with Zerbi. The reactions were not long in coming.
Rennes still beaten at home by Brest the De Zerbi project does not take into account when Stéphan will return ????????
Sampaoli quickly replied with humor: “It’s true that I mixed coaches from the other world”, emphasizing that his career raises more doubts than certainties.
“Great, I broke my retweet record thanks to a mistake on the coach’s name,” he added, making fun of the comments of support for Sampaoli. The latter will seek to raise the bar during their next match, Saturday January 25, against Monaco for the 19th day.
Overall, the article highlights the challenges Jorge Sampaoli faces in Ligue 1, as well as the reactions from the media and experts. This opens the discussion about the nature of managerial choices in modern football: how far should a club go to strengthen its team, and how far can it tolerate fluctuations in a manager’s performance?
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